Airbag victim dies in Florida case as death tolls hits 11

Stephanie Erdman of Destin, who was seriously injured by the airbag explosion in her Honda Civic during a traffic crash, testifies during a hearing before Congress in 2014. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Stephanie Erdman of Destin, who was seriously injured by the airbag explosion in her Honda Civic during a traffic accident, testifies during a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee November 20, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

What is believed to be the 11th death related to malfunctioning Takata airbags was announced Wednesday by a Palm Beach Gardens attorney who represents her.

Patricia Mincey died after sustaining catastrophic injuries in Jacksonville that left her a quadriplegic when the airbag in her Honda Civic exploded during a minor collision two years ago, attorney Theodore Leopold said.

“It’s of course sad,” Leopold told The Palm Beach Post. “She was in great misery and great pain and suffering for two years.”

A trial against Takata for allegedly causing Mincey’s injuries and ultimate death remains scheduled for Aug. 15 in Duval County Circuit Court, he said.

Daughter Kelly Sims will now be entitled to pursue her own claims to hold Takata responsible for the death of her mother, Leopold said.

The airbags are subject to one of the largest recalls in U.S. automotive history, affecting more than 28 million airbags in more than 24 million vehicles at last count.

“We are saddened by the news of Patricia Mincey’s death and offer our condolences to the Mincey family,” Takata said in a statement about the 77-year-old’s death, the New York Times reported.

Takata officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday about allegations in the case, but have said they are cooperating with efforts to understand and fix problems.

“It is unacceptable to us and incompatible with our safety mission for even one of our products to fail to perform as intended and to put people at risk,” company executive vice president Kevin M. Kennedy told a Congressional panel last year.

Even in a low-speed crash, malfunctioning airbags can send metal fragments at drivers or passengers in the car, leading to 11 reported deaths and more than 100 injuries.

Depositions in the case have revealed evidence Takata knew of problems uncovered in testing but failed to adequately inform Honda and other automakers about them, according to Leopold.

“Takata knew that millions of vehicles would be driven with defective airbag inflators, and vehicle occupants would be killed or, like Patricia Mincey, seriously injured,” Leopold said in a statement issued Wednesday. “The only thing the company did not know was the names of the individuals who would be killed or injured and the date when those incidents would occur.”